Setting Achievable Weight Loss Goals

Do you know why so many women do not succeed in losing weight? Because they set weight loss goals that they simply cannot achieve. Weight loss is a journey – it takes time to get the results that you are looking for. It probably took you months or years to get to the weight that you are now, so expecting to lose it in a few weeks isn’t very realistic. You may work out a few times a week at your women’s fitness centre, quit binge eating and adjust your diet but if you don’t set achievable goals you will only get frustrated in your weight loss efforts. What should you do?

Avoid long term goals

Long term goals will make you feel frustrated after just a short time. If, for example, you decide that you want to lose 50 pounds in 12 months, and in the first month you have only lost half a pound, you may start to feel like your weight loss efforts are not going anywhere. It is best to set short term goals – it is recommended that you start by losing 10% of your total body weight in the first few months and then move on from there.

If you are not sure about how best to set short term goals you can talk to the certified trainer at your gym.

Think about what you want to gain too

It is true that you want to lose weight, but have you taken the time to think about what you want to gain? Looking at a number on a scale a few times a day will not help you much because weight loss doesn’t happen that fast, but if you set other goals you will soon realize that your efforts are working. Other goals including gaining more energy, become healthier, felling more self confident and even enjoying life a little bit more.

Understand weight loss properly

For many years it was believed exercise was the only way that people could lose weight. This kind of thinking was challenged when it became evident that many people who were working out on a regular basis were not losing weight. The problem was that they made no adjustments to their diet. If you want to see real weight loss you need to do more than join a boutique fitness centre. You need to think about what you eat and be prepared to make major adjustments. You should swap all unhealthy foods for nutritious healthy ones and avoid binging.

Avoid pressure from magazines, TV and social media

When you see adverts of women who claim to have lost 10 pounds a week for several weeks you may feel like your own weight loss efforts are going to nought. If you are serious about losing weight you shouldn’t aim to be like any of the models that you see in the media or anyone else for that matter. You are losing weight for your own beauty, your own self confidence and your own health. Most of the women you see on the internet or TV are trying to sell products so whatever they say about weight loss should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Lastly, be careful about tracking your progress

If you have been working very hard to lose weight you will be keen to jump onto your bathroom scale every time you can. This is not realistic and can lead to lots of frustration. Some internationally certified trainers will tell you that you don’t need bathroom scales at all – they make you fixate, which leads to stress which leads to eating. Instead, work with an experienced trainer at your local gym to track your progress.